Weaving machine comprising shuttle braking means

ABSTRACT

The machine comprises a shuttle race and a vertical guide, which opens upwardly through said race. A shuttle consisting at least in part of ferromagnetic material is movable along said shuttle race and over said guide. A solenoid is provided, which is freely slidably movable upwardly in said guide from an initial position adjacent to said shuttle race upwardly into frictional engagement with said shuttle when the same is disposed over said guide, and which is energizable to have a predetermined range of action, which extends above said shuttle race. Said weaving machine, except for said shuttle and solenoid, is free of ferromagnetic parts in said range of action of said solenoid.

United States Patent [1 1 Filter WEAVING MACHINE COMPRISING .3 SHUTTLE BRAKING MEANS Inventor: Walther Filter, Langenhagen,

Germany Filed: June 24, 1974 Appl. No.: 482,801

Foreign Application Priority Data July 6, 1973 Austria 5956/73 US. Cl 139/186; 139/185 Int. C1. D03D 49/54 Field of Search 139/186, 185, 187, 134

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,248,872 7/1941 Howell 139/186 [11] 3,889,723 1 1 June 17, 1975 2,501,394 7/1948 Freniere 139/186 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,157,699 7/1969 United Kingdom 139/185 Primary Examiner-Mervin Stein Assistant ExaminerSteven Hawkins Attorney, Agent, or F irm-Kurt Kelman 57 ABSTRACT The machine comprises a shuttle race and a vertical guide, which opens upwardly through said race. A shuttle consisting at least in part of ferromagnetic material is movable along said shuttle race and over said guide. A solenoid is provided, which is freely slidably movable upwardly in said guide from an initial position adjacent to said shuttle race upwardly into frictional engagement with said shuttle when the same is disposed over said guide, and which is energizable to have a predetermined range of action, which extends above said shuttle race. Said weaving machine, except for said shuttle and solenoid, is free of ferromagnetic parts in said range of action of said solenoid.

5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure WEAVING MACHINE COMPRISING SHUTTLE BRAKING MEANS This invention relates to a braking device for shuttles which consist at least in part of ferromagnetic material, which device comprises at least one solenoid disposed adjacent to the shuttle race.

The braking devices for shuttles comprise usually a lateral guide wall for the shuttle and a resiliently cushioned shuttle tongue which faces said guide wall, and the stationary lateral guide wall as well as the shuttle tongue are provided with brake linings and press the incoming shuttle between them to hold it in position. In such arrangements the shuttle is not only braked as it enters the shuttle box but the braking device becomes effective also as the shuttle is shot into the shed so that the shuttle picker must be dimensioned to overcome the braking force. To avoid this disadvantage, a braking device has been disclosed which comprises a movable braking jaw, which can be pivotally moved away from the shuttle race so that the braking device remains ineffective as the shuttle is shot into the shed. On the other hand, a separate, expensive control mechanism and a mechanical pivotal movement of the movable jaw are required for the operation of that known braking device so that these known braking devices can be used only with shuttles shot at relatively low speed.

It is also common to all these known braking means for shuttles that the shuttle when it has been shot out cannot be arrested before it enters the shed even when such an arrest is required because a trouble has arisen.

Another braking device has been disclosed which enables an arrest of shuttles by means ofa stationary solenoid which is disposed adjacent to the shuttle race. That device has the disadvantage that the shuttle must either slide on the shuttle race, which involves an undesirably high resistance to the movement of the shuttle, or the shuttle cannot be braked by frictional forces. If the shuttle is braked only by magnetic forces because the solenoid acts on the shuttle through an intervening air gap, much stronger magnetic forces will be required. Besides, the frictional forces will be significant owing to the weight of the shuttle as well as to the inevitable remanence whenever the shuttle moves over the braking device.

It is an object of the invention to avoid these disadvantages and provide a braking device which is structurally simple, responds virtually without a delay at the desired time, and in its inoperative state cannot exert any influence on the travel of the shuttle.

In a braking device of the kind described first hereinbefore, the object set forth is accomplished by the invention in that each solenoid is mounted in a vertical guide to be freely slidably movable upwardly into frictional engagement with the shuttle and that, except for the shuttle, only non-ferromagnetic parts are disposed in the range of action of each solenoid. When it is desired to brake the shuttle, it is sufficient to energize the solenoid. The time when the energization begins is not critical because the braking device does not become effective until the shuttle moves over the solenoid. When the ferromagnetic material of the shuttle enters the range of action of the solenoid, the forces of attraction become effective so that the solenoid is slidably moved in its vertical guide into engagement with the shuttle and adheres to the underside of the shuttle. The shuttle is braked by the frictional force which is effective only between the vertically displaceable solenoid and the horizontally moving shuttle. In order to reliably arrest the shuttle, two or more solenoids are usually arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel of the shuttle. A single solenoid may be used if its force of attraction is sufficient. To release the brake, the solenoid is deenergized. When the exciting current has been interrupted, the solenoid falls back by gravity to its initial position and then will not impede the further travel of the shuttle. It will be understood that to avoid trouble the parts disposed in the range of action of the solenoids must consist of non-ferromagnetic material. The braking device according to the invention has proved particularly satisfactory with weaving machines in which during a trouble-free operation the shuttles are not arrested by braking devices but are only reversed by energy storing springs. In case of trouble, the shuttles which continually reciprocate through the shed must be quickly and reliably arrested whether they enter the shuttle box from the shed or are moving toward the shed. Such sudden arrest of the shuttle is hardly enabled by the known braking devices.

Within the scope of the invention a particularly simple structure will be obtained if the vertical guide for each solenoid is formed by a corresponding aperture of the shuttle race because separate guides are not required in that case.

To increase the braking action, each solenoid may be provided within the scope of the invention with a brake lining on that surface which faces the shuttle.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is showr. on the accompanying drawing in a simplified sectional view of a braking device according to the invention.

A shuttle race 1 of plastics material or the like has a substantially rectangular aperture 2, which serves as a vertical guide for a solenoid, which consists of an exciter winding 3 and a laminated iron core 4. The iron core 4 normally rests on a U-shaped beam 5 which carries the shuttle race 1. In the guide formed by the aperture 2, the iron core 4 is freely slidably movable against a shuttle 6, which is indicated by dash-dot lines.

When it is desired to brake the shuttle 6, the exciter winding 3 is connected to a source of current so that the solenoid 3, 4 is energized. Unless the shuttle 6 is adjacent to the solenoid, the latter will remain in its initial position remote from the path of the shuttle 6 because there are no ferromagnetic parts in the range of action of the solenoid. In the embodiment shown by way of example, the hollow beam 5 which carries the shuttle race 1 consists of aluminum. When the shuttle 6 enters the range of action of the solenoid 3, 4, the force of attraction produced between the solenoid and the ferromagnetic material of the shuttle acts on the solenoid, which is freely upwardly slidable from the supporting beam 5 and which is then raised until it adheres to the underside of the shuttle. The shuttle is then braked by the frictional force between the solenoid, which is immovable in the direction of travel of the shuttle 6, and the moving shuttle. To release the brake it is sufficient to disconnect the exciter winding 3 from the source of current so that the magnetic field is eliminated, the force action between the shuttle and the solenoid ceases, and the solenoid returns by gravity to its initial position.

To enable a reliable arrest of the moving shuttle it is usual to provide not only one solenoid but a plurality of solenoids, which are arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel of the shuttle.

The braking device according to the invention can arrest the shuttle exactly at the right time without need for a special control device because the movement of the solenoid 3, 4, which acts virtually as a brake jaw, is controlled by the shuttle itself. It is sufficient to energize the exciter winding 3 in time; this can be accomplished without difficulty because the energization does not result in an immediate movement of the solenoid.

The arrangement of the solenoid below the passing shuttle affords the additional advantage that separate stationary guide walls and the like are not required. Besides, the weight of the solenoid itself may be used to return it.

What is claimed is:

l. A weaving machine, which comprises a shuttle race,

a vertical guide, which opens upwardly through said race,

a shuttle consisting at least in part of ferromagnetic material and movable along said shuttle race and over said guide. and

a solenoid, which is freely slidably movable upwardly in said guide from an initial position adjacent to said shuttle race into engagement with said shuttle when disposed over said guide, and which is energizable to have a predetermined range of action, which extends above said shuttle race,

said weaving machine, except for said shuttle and solenoid, being free of ferromagnetic parts in said range of action of said solenoid.

2. A weaving machine as set forth in claim 1, which comprises a plurality of said vertical guides and a plurality of said solenoids associated with respective ones of said vertical guides,

said weaving machine being free of ferromagnetic parts in the range of action of each of said solenoids, except for said shuttle and the solenoid concerned.

3. A weaving machine as set forth in claim 1, in which said shuttle race is formed with an aperture forming said vertical guide.

4. A weaving machine as set forth in claim 1, in which said solenoid has a top surface provided with a brake lining engageable with said shuttle.

5. A weaving machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said solenoid includes a ferrous core and a winding about said core, said race defining a path of movement for said shuttle, means for normally holding said core out of said path, said core, when excited by said winding and attracted by said shuttle, moving into said path and frictionally engaging said shuttle. 

1. A weaving machine, which comprises a shuttle race, a vertical guide, which opens upwardly through said race, a shuttle consisting at least in part of ferromagnetic material and movable along said shuttle race and over said guide, and a solenoid, which is freely slidably movable upwardly in said guide from an initial position adjacent to said shuttle race into engagement with said shuttle when disposed over said guide, and which is energizable to have a predetermined range of action, which extends above said shuttle race, said weaving machine, except for said shuttle and solenoid, being free of ferromagnetic parts in said range of action of said solenoid.
 2. A weaving machine as set forth in claim 1, which comprises a plurality of said vertical guides and a plurality of said solenoids associated with respective ones of said vertical guides, said weaving machine being free of ferromagnetic parts in the range of action of each of said solenoids, except for said shuttle and the solenoid concerned.
 3. A weaving machine as set forth in claim 1, in which said shuttle race is formed with an aperture forming said vertical guide.
 4. A weaving machine as set forth in claim 1, in which said solenoid has a top surface provided with a brake lining engageable with said shuttle.
 5. A weaving machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said solenoid includes a ferrous core and a winding about said core, said race defining a path of movement for said shuttle, means for normally holding said core out of said path, said core, when excited by said winding and attracted by said shuttle, moving into said path and frictionally engaging said shuttle. 